Best dishes countdown #3: Wagyu four ways at Sushi Fix

The Wagyu beef four ways at Sushi Fix embodies the spirit of this Excelsior temple of Japanese eating. Over-the-top, decadent, whimsical, and always surprising, Sushi Fix manages to toe an ambitious line: tradition mixed with kooky surprise.

Much ado has been made about certified Wagyu beef, and Sushi Fix has the straight dope. Yes, it arrives with a birth certificate; yes, the meat comes from a superior breed of cattle, prized for its superior texture and sweet, mellow, and full aroma; yes, the calves live in a stress-free environment, helping to keep the flesh tender; yes, they graze on high-grade wheat and rice; yes, they breathe fresh air; and yes, they sometimes drink beer.

"Due to hot weather cows tend to not eat and [some farmers] give beer to make them relax. So they can eat a little more and be peaceful," says chef/owner Billy Tserenbat.

Tserenbat has a longstanding relationship with beef supplier "Miyazakigyu" — he says it's a trademark for the best in all of Japan.

What's it taste like? Butter, if butter were meat. At Sushi Fix they serve it much like different preparations of fish — barely seared like sashimi, barely seared and draped over a pad of sushi rice like nigiri, seared just a little more, and finally cooked all the way through over rice.

And yes, it's expensive, but Tserenbat says he's trying to keep prices as fair as possible so that more people can try it. Wagyu two ways is about $80, so if you want it four ways, do the math and then decide.

It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and when you consider what you'll save on a ticket to Tokyo, it's an outright bargain.